Interactive Analytical Displays for Spatial Decision Support Systems

Geographic information system technology is now being placed in the hands of decision-makers who often have little or no cartographic training. Although it is possible that these users will glean insight from the displays that they generate, map readers are able to recover more information from a carefully designed display, than from a poorly designed display. In our application, we are attempting to integrate spatial modelling techniques (e.g. location-allocation models) with the spatial data handling and display capabilities of CIS, to improve the process of spatial decision-making. Although it is important that decision-makers be provided with a capability of viewing the results of spatial models, we wish to isolate users from technical, mundane details of generating the display. To achieve this goal we have developed techniques that allow an expert system to assume responsibility for some aspects of thematic map layout and design.